Reality Check : Reducing the barriers to Thailand 4.0

Thailand 4.0 is a real opportunity to change the way we do things in Thailand, and to use digitalisation to increase our efficiency, improve productivity and break down any obstacles in our way.

When the government’s new economic model, “Thailand 4.0”, was announced last year it signalled an ambitious new era for the country.

Following on from Thailand 1.0 (agricultural focus), Thailand 2.0 (domestic production), and Thailand 3.0 (developing complex industries to grow our export market), it is seen as a way of escaping the risk of a middle-income trap characterised by rising wage costs and the loss of a competitive edge.

Thailand 4.0 focuses on a creative, digitized, and innovation-driven economy.

Thailand 4.0 focuses on a creative, digititalised, and innovation-driven economy.

This is a real opportunity to change the way we do things in Thailand, and to use digitalisation to increase our efficiency, improve productivity and break down any obstacles in our way.

However, to use just one very simple example, as a frequent traveller between China, Thailand and Hong Kong I note that our immigration bureau is the only one that still requires local citizens and long-term residents (including foreigners with right of abode) to fill in paper immigration forms when entering and exiting the country/territory.

Hong Kong has long permitted travellers who had passed through its airport no fewer than 3 times in the preceding 12 months to enroll for e-Channel immigration service.

While the Thai government, like all other governments, may wish to record information about people crossing the country’s borders, we could certainly digitalise this process to save physical resources and time.